


The Same View of the Ocean

by softintelligence



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 18:43:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/600924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softintelligence/pseuds/softintelligence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Himuro invites Kagami to go to Los Angeles with him for one weekend. Kagami agrees, hoping that he'll have a chance to talk to Himuro about their tenuous relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Same View of the Ocean

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> \- Anything in ⌊these brackets⌉ is spoken in English.  
> \- _Itadakimasu_ means "let's eat"/"thank you for the food".  
>  \- I have tried to keep the details of Los Angeles as accurate as possible, but please forgive me for the (many) liberties I have taken.

Himuro calls him in the middle of summer, and Kagami picks up, not because he knows it's him, but out of reflex upon waking from his evening nap after an exhausting pick-up game with Aomine. "⌊Good evening, sunshine,⌉" Himuro says, and Kagami blinks awake and nearly rolls off the couch.

"Tatsuya," Kagami says, sitting up straight. "How did you get my number?"

"Atsushi," Himuro says, "who got it from your friend, Kuroko." 

Kagami sighs and rubs his forehead. He's talked to Kuroko already about not giving out his number to others. He has Kise texting him every other day about this photoshoot and that photoshoot, and when is the next time Kagami wants to go to physical therapy with him? Midorima texts him every morning with his daily horoscope, as though Kagami actually cares about who's first and last on Oho Asa. Aomine texts him every afternoon asking for a one-on-one and maybe dinner at Kagami's, which just really means: "Cook for me, Kagami Taiga," like he still can't decide whether he wants to call Kagami by his last name or his first. Akashi texts him, too, telling him to watch his diet and make sure he doesn't eat too many burgers. 

The only person who doesn't text him is Murasakibara, but Kagami suspects that's because he's too busy texting Kiyoshi about this snack and that snack and asking Kiyoshi why he loves basketball so much. And Kuroko ... well. Kuroko just texts him at random times during the day, and even during the night before practice games, just as Kagami is about to fall asleep, with things like, "Don't stay up all night," or, "I think I might have to give Nigou to you to take care of," and Kagami ends up lying in bed awake all night. What a little bastard.

But that's that, and this is Himuro, so Kagami figures he can forgive Kuroko this one time. "What's up, Tatsuya?"

"Nothing," Himuro says. "I was just wondering. ⌊Do you want to go to the States with me?⌉"

"What!?" 

Himuro laughs. "⌊I think you understood me. Do you want to go to the States with me? I'll buy your ticket. We could leave this weekend. Just for a day, maybe two.⌉"

"I don't think that's a good idea." Kagami rubs the back of his neck. "I still have summer training. Plus, I told Aomine that I would play one-on-one with him this weekend. And Kise wants to take me to his physical therapy. Kuroko wants to go to Maji Burger--"

"I get it, I get it," Himuro says. "You're busy." He sighs, heavily, and Kagami shifts uncomfortably on the couch. "You've got a new life here now. I was getting ahead of myself."

Kagami leans back against the cushions and sinks a little bit. He still has the ring in the drawers in his room, polished and clean. He wants to ask Himuro, too, _Do you still have the ring?_ But that seems too embarrassing to ask. Instead, he says, "How's Murasakibara doing?"

"He's still playing basketball." Himuro clears his throat. "I think I even heard him say he might like it the other day." 

Kagami rolls his eyes. "⌊Fucking ridiculous Generation of Miracles.⌉"

"I know. But you're the same, Taiga. I saw your match with Rakuzan."

Kagami flushes a little just at the thought. "You should have said something," he says.

There's silence at the other end of the line. Kagami thinks he might have hung up, but as soon as he moves the phone to check, Himuro sighs. "You should really come back with me," he says. "We can visit all the old haunts."

Kagami gets up and goes to his room. He picks up his bag and starts pulling open his drawers. "Is Daikokuya still open?"

"I think they're saving a seat for you," Himuro says, and Kagami swears he can hear Himuro smiling on the other side of the line.

*

Kagami's dad sighs over the phone when he tells him. "Do you want to stay at my place?"

"No, I think it's fine," Kagami says. "We're going to catch a one-way from Narita to LAX and arrive at nine a.m on Saturday. On Sunday, we're leaving around noon and we're going to arrive in Narita at about five p.m."

His dad sighs. "Well, just be careful. I'm glad you're going with Tatsuya. Let me know if you need anything. I have to get back to work. And next time, plan ahead. Tickets like these aren't cheap, you know."

Kagami wants to ask for advice, but as far as his dad knows, he and Tatsuya are long-lost friends who have reunited. So Kagami says, "Yeah, yeah, thanks. I'll talk to you later, Dad," and shuts his phone when he hears the dial-tone.

*

Kagami meets Himuro at Narita Airport, one bag slung over his shoulder. He's not surprised to see Himuro has only one bag, too. 

They don't have much time to talk as they check in through security. Kagami can never find the right time to ask Himuro about the ring, either, and when Kagami manages to get a word in, the P.A. calls their names for verification. Himuro doesn't bring it up after, and Kagami doesn't know how to ask him if he heard. 

He wants to talk to Himuro more on the plane, but once Kagami buckles himself into his seat, he falls asleep. He's never been good with planes. 

Himuro only wakes him up once, when the flight attendants bring the drink carts by. Kagami has a soda; Himuro has some cranberry juice. Kagami stays awake for a little bit, watching Himuro watch movies on the small screen on the seat in front of him. Kagami tries to watch something, too. He's been so busy with basketball he hasn't had time to watch the latest flick, and Delta Airlines has all the latest American movies. Nothing catches his interest.

Kagami wants to say something to Himuro, but Himuro never looks at him, so Kagami loses his nerve before he can even try.

*

"I forgot how bad traffic is," Kagami says, squinting at the cars basically parked on the long stretch of highway, bumper-to-bumper. "How much longer do you think it'll take?"

"Maybe another hour," Himuro says, settling into his seat. Kagami doesn't know how he manages to look graceful even while he's in a grimy train seat. "I think I'm going to nap. I didn't sleep well on the plane." 

Kagami nods and stares out the window at the passing suburbia, the McDonald's, the signs in English, everything that Kagami hasn't seen in a year: the concrete upon concrete, the Ralphs and Albertsons and Stater Bros. Even taking the Metro feels different than the crowded train stations. 

Kagami looks at Himuro, long and hard, as Himuro naps, his head bouncing with the rhythm of the bus. The last time he was this close to Himuro, he'd found him bleeding from the face after Haizaki punched him. And before that, the Yousen match. 

Kagami reaches into his pocket and thumbs the ring, pushing it around. He wants to tell Himuro that they're still brothers. Whatever happened in the past, however Himuro feels, Kagami wants to respect that, but he also wants to have his brother back in his life. 

"Hey," Kagami says, shaking Himuro's shoulder. "We're gonna transfer soon."

Himuro jolts awake, and Kagami only barely dodges the elbow that swings toward his ribcage. "Sorry about that," he says, smiling. 

"It's okay," Kagami says. 

Little Tokyo is as small as ever. Kagami's not used to seeing anyone but Japanese people for the last year, so all he can think about is how out of place he feels. The mix of different languages--Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, some Vietnamese, and a lot of English--is so much louder than the low rumble of Japanese that he's used to in Tokyo.

"Did you miss it?" Himuro asks, as they cross San Pedro. 

"I guess I did," Kagami says. The line for Daikokuya is shorter than Kagami remembers, but it's still out the door. Kagami stands awkwardly under the awning, a little too tall, and he can see the awkward looks that people are giving him. Being around Japanese basketballers, especially people like the Generation of Miracles, has spoiled Kagami for people who are his height. He can see the tops of most of these people's heads. If he tried, he could probably pretend they weren't even there. 

"Hey," Himuro says. "I hope you brought cash."

"Of course I did." Kagami knows how much he'll spend here.

The line moves more quickly than usual. People get tired of waiting, and Kagami feels bad, but--it's his presence that makes some of the people in line nervous. They say things like, "Let's just go," or "We can come back another day."

Kagami's glad that he doesn't have to stoop down to get inside. The doorway is a little short still, though. At least the ceiling is higher. The tables are small, though, so when he sits down in the booth seats, he feels like a giant, like always. The smell of the broth floats out from the kitchen, and Kagami feels the tension seep out of his shoulders. 

"Tai-chan?"

Kagami looks up to see the elderly face of the owner of Daikokuya and smiles, waving. "Obaa-chan!" He thinks about getting up, but he knocks his knees against the table and she holds her hands up to stop him.

"Don't worry, Tai-chan, I can still get around." She dries her hands on the towel and reaches across to pat his shoulder. "I thought you were in Tokyo?"

"Tatsuya and I came back for the weekend," Kagami says. Himuro smiles at her and she pats him on the shoulder, too. "We decided to come back for old times' sake."

"Ooo, well, I don't know if it'll be good or not. You've probably been spoiled by Japanese ramen in Tokyo." Obaachan ruffles his hair.

"No, no," Himuro says, "yours is still the best. It has American flavor." He winks at her and she smacks him in the shoulder. 

"Don't be smart with me," Obaachan says. "Should I make your favorites?"

"Yes, please," they both say. Kagami adds, "Three bowls, please," and Obaachan just shakes her head and murmurs, "Young boys," as she walks away.

When she leaves, Kagami plays with his chopsticks. Himuro has one elbow on the table, his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

"It really is better here," Kagami says. "The ramen."

"I think that's nostalgia talking." Himuro is watching him, his eyes half-lidded, and Kagami feels nervous under his gaze. 

He wants to talk about them. What they had before, if they could get it back. Kagami wishes he'd said something to Himuro back then, instead of brushing it off. He'd told Kuroko that the past was with Himuro, the future with Seirin, but Kagami wishes he could bring Himuro into the future, too. 

"Nostalgia is why we're here," Kagami points out. Himuro looks away. "Ah... Sorry."

"No, you're right." Himuro stares at the ads and vintage pictures plastered to the wall. "It is why we're here. I feel like I haven't been here in forever, and it hasn't changed at all."

"You think it's going to take a while?"

Himuro shrugs, and they lapse into silence.

"I talked to Alex," Kagami says, finally. Himuro stares at him through his bangs, his eyebrow raised. "She just told me ..." Maybe this isn't what he should be saying. Kagami thinks back to the time when Momoi had come to Seirin, soaked in the rain, and he'd said something stupid and messed everything up. "Nothing. She wants to see you again. Maybe we--" _\--can play together._ "--can catch dinner with her."

"What is she doing now?" Himuro says the words slowly, rolling them around in his mouth, and Kagami wonders what Himuro is thinking. Is he angry? Upset? Does he regret asking Kagami to come with him all the way to the States, just the two of them? 

"She's going to start mentoring youth at the Alpine Recreation Center," Kagami says.

"In Chinatown?" 

"Yeah." Kagami twirls the chopsticks on top of his fingers. "They have a couple basketball courts there. Plus, it's not that far from Little Tokyo."

Himuro sighs a little. "I haven't been to Chinatown in a while, either. I want dim sum. Alex would probably like that. She'd eat the whole place out of house and home, just like you."

"Shut up," Kagami says, without heat.

Himuro smiles beatifically. "Well, I'm glad Alex is doing well. We haven't talked in a while. She must still be mad at me."

"No, she's--" Kagami stops, again. "She's not mad at you, Tatsuya." 

Himuro doesn't say anything else. He just pulls some napkins out of the dispenser. Kagami doesn't know what to say, either, so he waits until Obaachan comes out carrying a tray of bowls. 

"Obaachan!" Kagami stands up and slides out of the booth, picking up the tray with one hand. "You shouldn't carry so much." He steadies her back with one hand and she laughs and pats him on the back.

"Tai-chan, I'm not that old."

Kagami places the tray down. Himuro removes his own bowl of noodles, and then proceeds to place the other three bowls on Kagami's side. 

"I'm so glad that you and Tatsu-chan are still so close to each other!" Obaachan is laughing, and Kagami tries to smile, but it just falls flat.

Kagami slides back into the booth. Himuro is staring blankly at his bowl.

They clap their hands together.

" _Itadakimasu,_ " they say quietly.

Kagami starts eating. The ramen is as good as ever, just like in his memories, when Himuro and he would sneak into the restaurant and steal a table, and Obaachan would give them small bowls of ramen. The pork was so good, the scent wafting into Kagami's nose, the egg just the right amount of moisture, the way Himuro laughed when Kagami asked for more. Even now, the ramen tastes the same, but Himuro isn't laughing. They aren't saying anything, and even as Kagami's stomach gets full, his heart stays empty. 

*

Afterwards, Kagami says, "Let's go to Yamazaki."

"You still want to go?" Himuro laughs and follows Kagami down the sidewalk. "I can't believe you're not full." 

Kagami shrugs. "I want curry pan. And the wiener pan." He can practically smell it from Daikokuya. The small pastries and breads are calling for him. He's glad he withdrew a lot of cash. 

"Daikokuya was good, wasn't it?" 

"Yeah, it was good," Kagami says. Except for the hour that they spent in silence, staring down at their bowls, as though they were two strangers who happened to be sitting at the same table. "What'd you think?"

Himuro smirks at him. "Tasted just like the good days. You know, I'm surprised you didn't ask for another bowl."

Kagami rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

The doorway to Yamazaki Bakery is also very low, and this time, Kagami bumps his head into it. "Ow, ow, ow." 

"Careful," Himuro says, already looking at the various drinks and pastries he can buy.

"You could at least show some concern!" Kagami's voice echoes through the small, cramped space, and he flushes and stares at the wall when the cashier looks at him funny. 

"Don't worry, Taiga." 

Kagami looks up to see Himuro smiling at him. It's strained at the edges. The beauty mark on Himuro's cheek hasn't lifted. 

"I know you can take care of yourself now," Himuro says.

"Ah." Kagami stares, and then he rubs the back of his neck. "Well. I." He grunts a little and pushes past Himuro to the cashier. She's not Japanese, so Kagami says, "⌊Can I have four curry pan and two wiener pan, please?⌉"

"It's weird how you sound more polite in English than in Japanese." Himuro is laughing at him again. Kagami isn't sure whether to punch him or not. 

"It's just easier," Kagami mutters, as he pulls out his wallet and folds out a ten dollar bill. She gives him the change and a small bag. "⌊Thank you.⌉"

"Are you going to eat that all right now?" Himuro asks. 

"‘Ch. Of course I am." Kagami replaces his wallet and ducks under the doorway to step outside. There's an empty table nearby, so he settles himself down onto it. Himuro joins him across the table. Kagami reaches into the bag for the fried dough bread. He bites into it, but the ends of the oval-shape are always the same at Yamazaki: thick, with barely any curry in it. 

He knows there's nothing different from the curry pan here and in Tokyo. He's pretty sure the curry pan he could get in Tokyo is probably better. But the saltiness of the curry, the moisture of the bread--Yamazaki always gets it right. 

"I miss L.A.," Kagami says, suddenly.

Himuro looks at him, startled. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kagami says. "I miss the food."

Himuro chuckles. "You always miss the food wherever you go." 

"It's different!" Kagami shouts. The pigeons around the table start a little. He lowers his voice. "It's different. I grew up here. I met you."

"There's no need to get sentimental." Himuro takes Kagami's bag and pulls out one of his curry pan. To Kagami's horror, he bites into it. "I'll pay you back later. It's just a couple bucks." Himuro sighs. "It really is good."

"Hey," Kagami says. "Why did you invite me here?"

Himuro gazes deeply on the stone pavement. He looks like he always did: someone with a trick up his sleeve. Kagami wants to tell him no bullshit this time, no secrets, but he knows that Himuro isn't someone who listens with his ears. Rather, he listens with his heart.

"I just thought we could get together again," Himuro says. "Little Tokyo is where we spent a lot of our time together outside the courts. It wouldn't be the same without you."

"Now who's getting sentimental."

Silence, again. Kagami wishes he knew how to keep his mouth shut sometimes, instead of just blabbering about everything. 

Himuro worries his lip with his teeth and then sighs, blowing his front bangs out in front of his face. 

"You've always had that haircut," Kagami says. 

"It's a good haircut." Himuro smirks at him. "Unlike yours."

"Hey--!" Kagami grumbles into his curry pan. "It's not that bad. I mean. I don't even really need to do maintenance. Your hair ... probably takes forever."

"I just wake up like this," Himuro says. He flips the hair off his shoulder casually and smiles. "It's natural beauty." 

"Shut up, Tatsu-chan." 

"Tai-chan."

Kagami pushes a wiener pan across the table. "You should have this," he says, as he demolishes the curry pan.

"Thanks, lit--" Himuro stops. "Thanks." Himuro blinks rapidly at him, and Kagami stares at his little plastic bag. He still has one curry pan and one wiener pan left, but he doesn't feel like eating anymore. 

Kagami clears his throat. There must be some dough stuck in his throat, because his voice sounds thick to his ears. "Hey, where do you wanna go next?"

"West L.A.? We can go to Sawtelle for a drink."

"Volcano Tea is still around?" He's only been there once, a long time ago.

"Are you kidding? It's one of the most popular places in West L.A." Himuro grins. "I'm a fan of the shaved ice store on Mississippi, but I think it'd be better just to get some bubble tea."

*

"It's a college area," Himuro says, when he sees Kagami's shocked face.

"There's people everywhere," Kagami says. 

"Well, it's not usually this busy. A lot of UCLA students leave during the summertime, but some stay." Himuro yawns and stretches. "Anyway, thirty-three percent of the UCLA population is Asian, so of course this would be a popular place."

Kagami tilts his head. "You know a lot about the school..." 

"It's a good school," Himuro says. "My mom went there for her undergrad. She likes to talk about it sometimes."

Oh. Kagami hadn't known that. Then again, there wasn't a lot in their relationship besides basketball ... "Do your parents plan on moving back to Japan?"

"No," Himuro says. They near the small plaza where Volcano Tea is tucked between a curry place and a Japanese novelty store. "It's pretty crowded, huh ... But it should be okay." 

"Hey," Kagami says, over the small roar of the crowd, "about your parents--"

"They want to stay in California," Himuro says, so quietly that Kagami has to bend down a little to hear him. "My dad is thinking about moving up to San Jose and commuting to work at Intel. He wants to be able to bike to work. The driving scares him."

"Hey," Kagami says. "Did you tell your parents you were coming?"

"No," Himuro says. "They're too busy, so they probably can't come out and see me, anyway."

Kagami nods. It had been the same in elementary and middle school, too. Himuro's parents had never really been around. "Should you call your grandmother?"

"Nah. She knows I can take care of myself." Himuro smiles at him. Kagami wonders what he's thinking. 

Once they're inside the shop, it's too loud to talk without shouting over the pop music. Kagami stares at the menu. Looking at all the choices, he knows exactly what the Generation of Miracles would want: Kuroko would go for the vanilla milk tea, no boba. Kise would take the mango snow bubble, extra boba. Murasakibara would go for a mix of flavors, maybe passion fruit and blueberry or something. Midorima would obviously get the red bean milk tea, no boba, extra red bean. Ugh. Aomine--probably wouldn't want something, but if Kuroko forced him, then maybe the Japanese matcha milk tea. And Akashi would pick the oolong milk tea.

"Excuse me, what would you like?"

Kagami shakes himself out of his thoughts and fumbles. "I'd like--" Shit. He really doesn't know. "Hazelnut milk tea, please. Extra boba. Large."

Kagami gives the cashier the money and steps aside. Himuro is already sitting down in one of the chairs. "What did you get?" Kagami half-yells.

"Almond milk tea." Himuro raises his eyebrows. "What were you thinking so deeply about, anyway?"

"I'll tell you later," Kagami says. "It's too loud in here."

It only takes a couple minutes for their drinks to come out. Kagami picks both of them up and wiggles his way through the rest of the crowd, until he's outside. Kuroko would have been proud of him.

"Where are we going now?" Kagami asks.

"Hmm." Himuro takes his drink from Kagami's hand. "⌊We can take the 1 to Westwood. There's an In-N-Out there.⌉"

Kagami's eyes widen. He grabs Himuro's shoulder and shakes him. "⌊Tatsuya! We have to go! We have to go to In-N-Out!⌉" 

Himuro laughs. "Okay, okay!"

Kagami inhales and the imagined scent of In-N-Out burgers, the thousand island dressing sauce, the grilled onions, the _fries_... Kagami's stomach grumbles just at the thought of it, and he nearly doubles over in pain. He hasn't had In-N-Out for a year. 

"Do you think they'd let me take the burgers back with me?" Kagami asks. He's still holding onto Himuro.

"No."

"You don't even have any suggestions--!" Kagami strengthens his resolve. "That just means I have to eat as many burgers as I can before we leave."

"You can probably make better burgers yourself," Himuro says.

"⌊Tatsuya! You don't understand!⌉" Kagami shakes Himuro twice, for good measure, and Himuro's head shakes a little as he laughs. "⌊In-N-Out is god's gift from the heavens...⌉" Kagami's mouth waters and he lets go of Himuro to wipe the moisture from the corner of his lips. "⌊I'm going to animal style everything.⌉"

Himuro snorts. "⌊Animal style.⌉"

Kagami flushes. "⌊The stop to the 1--⌉"

"Just down the street," Himuro says, grinning. "Race you there, ⌊tiger.⌉"

"⌊You're on, Tatsuya!⌉" 

Kagami nearly spills his drink on the way to the bus stop. He sees himself catching up to Himuro, and wonders, hey, if I win, is this it for us?, but Himuro throws a look over his shoulder at him that says, don't you fucking dare, and Kagami stretches his legs as far as they can go, weaving between college couples and older folks, his drink only splashing a little bit onto his face. They're neck and neck, and Himuro smiles and laughs, and Kagami finds himself laughing too, loud and deep from his diaphragm. 

They're both panting by the time they reach the sign, and the Big Blue Bus rolls up to them. 

When they settle into their seats, Himuro says, "Let's call it a tie," and they shake on it.

*

The cashier--John--behind the register looks like they're going to throw up when Kagami orders fifteen double-double burgers. 

"⌊Um, really?⌉" John asks. 

"⌊Yes, please,⌉" Kagami says. "⌊Also, can I have five animal style fries?⌉"

John swallows. "⌊Did you want a drink with that?⌉"

Kagami holds up his bubble tea. 

"⌊All right.⌉" The sweat runs down John's forehead as he rings up the order and Kagami looks over at Himuro and shakes his head. Himuro just shrugs. "⌊That brings your total up to ... uh, sixty-two dollars and seventy-five cents.⌉"

"⌊Cool.⌉" Kagami pulls out a credit card and a twenty dollar bill. "⌊Please keep the change. And I can wait however long it takes.⌉"

The receipt is about a foot long, but Kagami doesn't care. Instead, he walks over to Himuro, who has ripped the plastic wrap off the top of the bubble tea and is now filling it with Dr. Pepper. 

"Are you sure that's okay?" Kagami asks in the lowest voice he can muster, which isn't very low, but no one around them reacts. 

"No one's going to care, Taiga." Himuro snags a lid and manages to squeeze it down onto the bubble tea cup. "It costs them like two cents." He yawns and makes his way to one of the booths. 

"The area's really nice," Kagami says, sliding in across from Himuro. "There aren't a lot of cops around the area."

"Yeah," Himuro says. "Well, that's what you get in a college town." He sips his Dr. Pepper absently. "I can't believe you ordered fifteen double doubles. Your arteries must be nonexistent at this point." 

"I wanted to order more, but the guy looked really scared ..." Kagami sighs. "You can have some too, Tatsuya."

"I wouldn't want to deprive you of your In-n-Out. I'll have some of those fries, though." 

Kagami rolls his eyes. "I don't know how you eat so little and manage to stay so muscular," he says. "You're just like Kuroko. He eats nothing but vanilla milkshakes."

Himuro's expression doesn't change, and Kagami wonders if he's said the wrong thing again. "Tell me about your team," he says. "And the Generation of Miracles. Atsushi tells me a couple things here and there, but he's more interested in snacks and basketball than talking about his old friends, except for Kuroko."

Kagami shrugs. "What's there to say about the Generation of Miracles ... They're good players. I guess."

Himuro laughs. "Well, that's something, coming from you, isn't it?"

"Okay, okay," Kagami says, sighing. He stares at his milk tea and the pile of tapioca balls waiting at the bottom. "Let's see. The Seirin guys ... They're good guys. Kiyoshi ..." Kagami hurts a little just to think about it. "Well, Kiyoshi's doing all right. He's in physical therapy for his knee. He's the manager right now, but ... he still wants to play."

"I remember him," Himuro says. "One of those ‘Uncrowned Generals.'" 

"Yeah." Kagami nods. "Honestly, it's hard without him playing. But we still have Hyuuga. He's a great overall player now. Izuki's Eagle Eye just gets better and better everyday. He might become the next Akashi. But one time, Kuroko said that, and Izuki didn't come out of the locker room for the rest of practice..." Riko had decided to punish Kuroko and Kagami that day by making them run extra laps. Kagami only forgave Kuroko when he bought him an extra burger. "And ... who else. Koganei. He's doing better too. Solid skills. Furihata ... I think he might be the next captain. He's great at leading the team when he's on the field."

"And Kuroko?"

"That guy!" Kagami half-laughs, half-grimaces. "He still pisses me off as much as ever! But he's a reliable guy. His lay-ups and shots are getting better and better. The other day ..." Kagami feels his heart race just to think about it, and he slams his hands on the table. "The other day, that guy managed to get past two screens and a block from a guy twice as big as he is and do a lay-up! He's incredible!"

Himuro's eyes widen. "Wow," he says. "He really is improving."

"That guy loves basketball as much as you and I do," Kagami says, leaning back into his seat, and Himuro nods, imperceptibly. 

"And what about the other Generation of Miracles?"

"Oh, them." Kagami shakes his head. "They're annoying as ever. Now that I beat them, they want me to hang out with them all the time. Kise's playing, but he's in recovery for his ankle injury from last year, so he makes me go with him. That Aomine always want to play a game in the afternoons. And Midorima helps me study sometimes. And Akashi is the most annoying. He texts me at least three times a day telling me to eat regulated meals and that I should take a lot of showers. Honestly, it's a lot to keep up with. No wonder none of them have significant others." Kagami feels frustrated just thinking about it, but speaking it out loud makes him drop his head to the table. 

"It sounds like you're doing really well," Himuro says. "You're getting along with everyone."

"I guess," Kagami mumbles. 

"You grew up." Himuro's voice is quiet.

Kagami looks up. Himuro is hiding his face behind his bangs and his fists, as though he were praying. 

"I guess we're really not brothers anymore," Himuro says. "I can't even take care of you."

Kagami stares at him, frozen. This is it. This is the moment he's been waiting for, this whole time. To tell Himuro that he's wrong, that they can still be brothers. That they still are brothers.

"Tatsuya."

Himuro won't look up. Kagami can see something wet dripping down onto the table and the trembling in Himuro's shoulders. 

Kagami takes a deep breath. It's now or never. "Tatsuya," he says, and the words fall flat. What is he supposed to say, what did Kuroko tell him to say after the Yousen match, why can't he remember ... All that comes to mind is Himuro's face after the match, the tightened jaw, looking like he wasn't going to cry, no matter what happened. _I will no longer say that I'm your older brother._

Kagami clenches his teeth. Making his own decisions like that, without considering other people, rushing ahead for his own sake--Kagami's been there, too. Everything with Kuroko, Aomine, Midorima, Kise--the Generation of Miracles ... Kagami had to learn the hard way what it meant to be a team. And Himuro ...

"Tatsuya." Kagami has to do it now. He has to. There's no more reminiscing on the past, is there? This may not be East-side L.A., where they grew up together, but it's still the city Himuro found him in. "You're wrong about that." When Himuro doesn't react, Kagami keeps talking, the words rolling out of his mouth. "To me, you're still my older brother. You're the one who taught me basketball. Before that, I ... was alone here. I didn't know anyone. And you ... were so cool. You were my best friend. I don't want to give that up. I think that we can still--"

"Shut up," Himuro says, and Kagami stops, slack-jawed. "I just want to quietly accept that we can't be brothers anymore. I don't have anything to teach you. I--"

"No, you shut up!" Kagami's shout startles the people around them, and he struggles to keep it down. "You can't just tell me that we're not brothers anymore! We went through everything together ... We played basketball every week together for a year and a half. You're the only reason I made it this far ...! And you know, I don't need you to teach me anything, Tatsuya. Brothers can just support each other and make each other better. Don't give me anymore bullshit about how you're deciding on your own that it's over!"

Himuro looks up. The tears hover at the edge of his eyes. Kagami wants to punch him, or shake him, or hug him. Or all of those three. "Taiga..."

"Don't say my name like that!" Kagami is full-on shouting now, and he thinks that he might get kicked out, but he doesn't care anymore. He reaches over and grabs Himuro by the front of his shirt. "Do you know how many kilometers there are between Tokyo and Los Angeles?! There are almost 8,850! Do you know how much the ticket was? It was almost 110,000 yen! Do you know how many basketball shoes I can buy with that? Do you, Tatsuya?! Why did I have to fly 8,850 kilometers just to tell you that you're still my brother--!" 

"Taiga--"

"⌊Excuse me. Is there a problem?⌉" 

Kagami jumps to see the short security guard standing there, one hand on her baton. 

"⌊I'm sorry,⌉" Kagami says, letting go of Himuro. "⌊I got a little excited. I'll be more quiet.⌉"

The security guard gives him the eye, and Kagami tries to look appropriately embarrassed and ashamed.

Himuro stands up and steps out of the booth. "⌊I'm really sorry,⌉" he says. "⌊My friend here knows a lot of English, but he's not accustomed to how Americans act in restaurants.⌉" He bows, deeply, at the waist, and the security guard looks simultaneously shocked and annoyed. "⌊Please forgive us both.⌉"

"⌊Just make sure you don't cause anymore trouble,⌉" the security guard says.

Kagami is about to sit down when he hears his order number being tentatively called. The server behind the counter looks terrified, and Kagami tries to look the least intimidating as he possibly can. "⌊Thank you,⌉" he says, picking up the carefully stacked trays of burgers and fries back to the table where Himuro is waiting, his hands resting on the table, one on top of the other.

"I'm sorry," Himuro says, when Kagami sits down.

Kagami grunts in acknowledgement and takes out half of a burger in one bite. He chews through the patties without any relative difficulty and wishes he'd ordered three meat patties by three cheese slices instead of just two. This is the last chance he'll get, and he didn't even really order off the secret menu, just a regular double double. 

Kagami stares at the insides of his burger. The other fourteen burgers stare back at him.

Silently, he picks another one up with his free hand and places it in front of Himuro.

"Is this a peace offering?" Himuro asks, and Kagami doesn't look but he knows, he knows Himuro is giving him that shit-eating grin he always has.

Kagami pushes all the food in his mouth to one cheek and says, "Shut up and take it, you bastard."

Himuro laughs, a little, but it sounds more like he's crying. Still, he takes the burger from Kagami's hand. "I wish we had booked a longer trip for the States." Himuro unwraps the little paper from outside the burgers and bites into it. 

"Tatsuya," Kagami says, swallowing. "I'm sorry."

Himuro holds up a hand to indicate that he's chewing, and then he swallows, too. "No, I'm ... the one who should be sorry." He clears his throat. "As your older brother, I should be the more mature one. To be honest with you ... I was jealous of your skill."

Kagami knows that already. Alex told him. He doesn't know what to say now, hearing it from Himuro. 

"I'd been playing basketball for longer. I guess I even thought ... I loved basketball more. But it just seemed like I was getting further and further behind." Himuro squeezes the burger in his hand so tightly, Kagami can see the special sauce seeping into the wrap. "That wasn't fair to you. We were supposed to trust each other. You didn't break our bond by losing the game on purpose first. I broke it first, by seeing our relationship as something threatening.

"To be honest, I ..." Himuro's voice thickens, and he takes a drink of his Dr. Pepper. "I ... still treasure the time we had together."

Kagami feels like his burger is a lot saltier than usual, that it's a lot moister than usual. Maybe he should complain about it, but he doesn't know if he can get up. His eyes hurt and his heart hurts. It's not like the burger tastes bad, it's just that it's starting to taste like old times again, like being together with Himuro, really being together, being beside each other. 

"Taiga, are you ..."

"It must be L.A. air," Kagami says. "It's finally getting to me. I hope I don't go blind. Even my lungs hurt." He reaches a greasy hand into his pocket and pulls out the ring. "I kept this, asshole."

Himuro reaches into his own pocket and places his own matching ring and necklace on the table. "You too, huh."

"What kind of guy are you, even?" Kagami asks, finishing one burger and picking up the next.

"Ah," Himuro says. He's not even hiding the tears that are flowing down his face. "I guess ... the kind of guy with an amazing little brother."

Kagami finally admits it to himself.

He's definitely crying into his burgers.

*

They're both exhausted by the time they arrive in Narita. Kagami's knees feel weak from staying in one position too long, and Himuro doesn't look any better, either. Even his normally perfect hair has a few misplaced strands, and his clothes are all over the place. 

"Who's picking you up?" Kagami asks.

"I'm just taking the bus." Himuro yawns and stretches. "I have to meet Coach and let her know what I've been up to."

Kagami nods. "Hey, Tatsuya ..."

Himuro looks at him, expectantly.

There are still a lot of things Kagami wants to say. He still hasn't had all his questions answered. He wants to prove to Himuro that they can be brothers and rivals at the same time, that he doesn't believe he's any better at basketball than Himuro is. That Himuro is stupid if he thinks he's second best. 

But Himuro's eyes are red and he doesn't look like he can stand up for much longer, so Kagami says, "We should play one-on-one sometime." 

"Thought you'd never ask," Himuro says, smiling.

* 

When Kagami steps into his apartment, he checks his phone. There are forty-six messages, twenty of which are from Kise asking him why he didn't go with him to therapy this weekend like he promised. The other twenty-six are from other, various members of the Generation of Miracles and the Seirin team. 

But the most recent message is from Himuro. It reads: _I'm home, little brother._

Kagami puts one hand over his eyes and laughs. Stupid Tatsuya, he thinks, and texts back: _Big brother. Welcome home._

**Author's Note:**

> Happy December (and holidays, if you celebrate them), readerofasaph! Thank you for the great prompts!


End file.
